GoPro settings for underwater color
For better underwater color on a GoPro, turn on Protune, set the color profile to Flat, keep white balance on Auto (or Native if you edit everything), limit ISO, and get close. These settings leave the most room to correct color after the dive.
Menu names and options vary between models and firmware versions. The settings below exist on most recent HERO cameras; check your camera's manual for the exact names.
Recommended settings
| Setting | Suggestion | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Protune | On | Unlocks color, white balance, ISO and sharpness controls |
| Color profile | Flat (Natural if you don't edit) | Flat keeps detail in the red channel for correction later |
| White balance | Auto in shallow sun, Native if you edit everything | Native records the sensor's data with the least processing |
| ISO max | 400 to 800 in good light, up to 1600 deeper | Lower ISO means less noise when red is boosted |
| Sharpness | Low or Medium | Sharpening exaggerates noise and backscatter |
| Exposure (EV) | 0 or -0.5 | Protects bright water near the surface from clipping |
| Bit depth | 10-bit if your model offers it | Smoother gradients in blue water after editing |
| Video | 4K at 24, 30 or 60 fps | 60 fps helps when you swim and move the camera |
| Stabilization | On | Surge and finning make footage shaky |
Newer models also offer a Log profile. It gives the most grading room but is designed for desktop grading with a conversion LUT. If you edit on your phone, Flat is easier to work with.
Before you get in
- Check the depth rating. Recent HERO cameras are waterproof to about 10 m (33 ft) on their own. For scuba, use the dive housing rated for your model.
- Fit the right filter if you use one. Red for blue water, magenta for green, none with lights. See red filter vs editing.
- Clean the lens port and use anti-fog inserts in warm water.
While you dive
- Get within a meter of your subject. The wide lens makes things look further away than they are.
- Keep the sun behind you and avoid pointing at the surface, which fools the exposure.
- Hold each shot steady for a few seconds and keep clips short. That makes editing and correcting easier.
After the dive
Flat footage looks washed out straight from the camera. That is expected: the color is still there to recover. In VividSea, open the photo or clip and Auto color rebuilds the reds and contrast from the shot itself, then add a look if you want one. Video grading is on iPhone; photos work on iPhone and Android. To try it on a single photo first, use the free browser tool.
Get VividSea for iPhone Get it on Google Play
Common questions
Should I use Flat or Natural color on a GoPro underwater?
If you edit your footage, Flat keeps more room for color correction. If you post straight from the camera, Natural looks better out of the box. Vibrant tends to push blues and greens even further.
What white balance should a GoPro use underwater?
Auto works well in shallow, sunny water. If you correct everything afterwards, Native white balance keeps the most data for editing. Fixed Kelvin values are hit or miss because the light changes with depth.
Do I need a red filter for a GoPro?
Not always. A red filter helps in blue water with sunlight between roughly 5 and 15 m. In green water use a magenta filter, and with video lights use none.
Keep reading
Fix an underwater photo online
Correct a blue or green dive photo in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
GuideUnderwater color correction
Why water takes the reds, how deep each color reaches and how to fix it.
GuideWhy underwater photos look green or blue
Blue water, green water and what each cast needs.
GuideRed filter vs editing
When a red or magenta filter helps, and when to fix color afterwards.
GuideUnderwater video color correction
Why clips are harder than photos and how to grade them.
CompareVividSea vs Dive+
An honest comparison of two underwater color apps.